Gemstone Care Guide

A few simple habits can help protect the beauty and security of your gemstones:

• Put jewellery on after perfume, moisturiser, sunscreen and other beauty products have dried.
• Remove it before swimming, showering, exercising, sleeping, cleaning or undertaking activities involving impact or pressure.
• Store pieces separately so harder gemstones cannot scratch softer stones or metal surfaces.
• Check gemstone settings regularly. If a stone moves, rattles or appears loose, stop wearing the piece and contact us.
• Avoid home ultrasonic and steam cleaners. Inclusions, treatments and delicate settings may respond differently to vibration and heat.

For regular care, gently wipe your jewellery with the general Town Talk microfibre cloth included with your order.

Caring for the Setting

The security of a gemstone depends not only on the stone itself, but also on the setting that holds it.

Check settings periodically for movement, lifted claws or changes around the stone. If a gemstone rattles, shifts or appears loose, stop wearing the piece rather than attempting to adjust it yourself.

We can assess the setting and arrange any necessary maintenance through S+M Renew.

Explore S+M Renew

Ruby and sapphire belong to the corundum family. They are among the hardest and most resilient coloured gemstones, making them well suited to jewellery worn regularly.

Wearing: Protect them from forceful impacts and avoid allowing the stones to strike hard surfaces. Even a durable gemstone can chip or loosen within its setting.

Cleaning: Use the general microfibre cloth for regular care. If a deeper clean is required, use warm water, mild soap and a very soft brush before drying thoroughly.

Avoid: Harsh chemicals and home steam or ultrasonic cleaning, particularly when a stone’s treatment history is unknown.

Garnet is a diverse gemstone family that includes red garnet, green tsavorite and spessartine. Their durability varies slightly, but all should be protected from rough wear and strong impacts.

Wearing: Garnets can be worn regularly with considered care. Remove garnet rings and bracelets before activities that may expose them to knocks or pressure.

Cleaning: Gently wipe after wear. Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush may be used for a deeper clean.

Avoid: Hard blows, steam cleaning and abrupt temperature changes. Home ultrasonic cleaning should also be avoided, particularly when inclusions or fractures are present.

Citrine, amethyst, rose quartz and smoky quartz all belong to the quartz family. They are reasonably durable and suitable for regular wear, although their surfaces can still become scratched.

Wearing: Protect quartz gemstones from hard impacts and store them separately from diamonds, sapphires and other harder stones.

Cleaning: Use the general microfibre cloth after wear. For a deeper clean, use warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then dry thoroughly.

Avoid: High heat, sudden temperature changes and prolonged exposure to intense light. These conditions may affect certain quartz colours or cause existing fractures to expand.

Aquamarine and morganite are members of the beryl family. Both are durable enough for regular wear but should still be protected from scratches and hard knocks.

Wearing: Remove these pieces during strenuous activities and take particular care with rings, which are more likely to encounter hard surfaces.

Cleaning: Wipe regularly with the general microfibre cloth. Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush may be used when a deeper clean is needed.

Avoid: Strong heat, harsh chemicals and sudden temperature changes. Home ultrasonic and steam cleaning should be avoided because natural inclusions may make individual stones more vulnerable.

Emerald also belongs to the beryl family but requires more specialised care, so it has a separate section below.

Emeralds are treasured for their distinctive colour and natural inclusions. Those inclusions give each stone its character but can also make emerald more vulnerable to impact than ruby or sapphire.

Many emeralds are traditionally treated with oils or resins to improve their appearance. Heat, chemicals and unsuitable cleaning methods can affect these treatments.

Wearing: Wear emerald rings with particular care and remove them before activities involving impact, pressure or prolonged moisture.

Cleaning: Use the general microfibre cloth for routine care. If necessary, clean gently with a lightly dampened soft brush and a small amount of mild soap. Do not soak the stone, and dry it immediately.

Avoid: Ultrasonic cleaners, steam, heat, chemical cleaning products and aggressive scrubbing.

Topaz is a hard gemstone, but hardness does not make it immune to damage. Its internal structure has a natural cleavage direction, meaning a strong impact may cause it to split.

Wearing: Protect topaz rings and bracelets from hard knocks. Pendants and earrings are generally less exposed to impact but should still be handled carefully.

Cleaning: Wipe with the general microfibre cloth. For a deeper clean, use warm water, mild soap and a soft brush before drying completely.

Avoid: Steam and ultrasonic cleaners, sudden temperature changes, excessive heat and abrasive polishing. Surface-coated topaz requires additional care because abrasion can affect its finish.

Peridot has a vivid natural colour and fair to good durability. It is suitable for jewellery but is softer than sapphire, ruby and topaz and may scratch if worn roughly.

Wearing: Remove peridot jewellery before exercise, housework or activities involving pressure and impact. Wipe it after wear, particularly following warm weather or prolonged contact with perspiration.

Cleaning: Use warm water, mild soap and a soft brush when required. Rinse carefully and dry thoroughly.

Avoid: Ultrasonic and steam cleaning, rapid temperature changes, acids and harsh chemical products.

Tourmaline occurs in a remarkable range of colours, including pink, green, blue and multicoloured varieties. It is suitable for regular wear but has only moderate resistance to impact.

Wearing: Protect tourmaline from hard knocks and avoid wearing tourmaline rings during strenuous activities.

Cleaning: Gently wipe with the general microfibre cloth. Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush are suitable when more thorough cleaning is needed.

Avoid: Ultrasonic and steam cleaners, high heat and sudden temperature changes. Certain treated colours may also be affected by prolonged exposure to intense heat or light.

Moonstone, sunstone and labradorite belong to the feldspar family. Their distinctive optical effects come from their internal structure, but this structure can also make them more vulnerable to scratching and breaking.

Wearing: Handle feldspar gemstones with care, particularly when set in rings. Earrings and pendants are generally less exposed to knocks and pressure.

Cleaning: Use the general microfibre cloth or gently clean with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Dry the piece immediately.

Avoid: Hard impacts, high heat, sudden temperature changes, bleach, ultrasonic cleaners and steam.

Tanzanite is admired for its blue-to-violet colour but requires more considered handling. It can scratch and may fracture if struck or exposed to sudden temperature changes.

Wearing: Tanzanite is best protected from rough daily activity. Remove rings and bracelets before exercise, housework or anything that may place pressure on the stone.

Cleaning: Use the general microfibre cloth or clean gently with warm water, mild soap and a very soft brush.

Avoid: Ultrasonic and steam cleaners, high heat, sudden temperature changes and hard impacts.

Opal is a naturally delicate gemstone, valued for the shifting play of colour held within it. It is softer than many other jewellery stones and requires protection from scratches, impact and sudden changes in temperature.

Wearing: Treat opal rings with particular care. Remove them before exercise, housework or activities where the stone may be knocked, pressed or exposed to prolonged moisture.

Cleaning: Gently wipe the stone with a soft, slightly damp cloth, then dry it immediately. Use the general microfibre cloth on the surrounding metal.

Avoid: Soaking, ultrasonic cleaners, steam, chemical cleaners, high heat and sudden temperature changes. Opals should not be stored in water.

Store opal jewellery separately in a softly lined jewellery box or pouch, away from direct heat and prolonged sunlight.

Pearls are organic gems with a naturally soft, lustrous surface. They are particularly sensitive to scratches, cosmetics, perfume, perspiration and household chemicals.

Wearing: Pearls should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. Allow all cosmetics, fragrance and hair products to dry before wearing them.

Cleaning: After each wear, gently wipe pearls with a clean, very soft cloth to remove oils and residue. If more cleaning is required, use a lightly dampened cloth and allow the pearls to dry fully before storing.

Avoid: Soaking, abrasive cloths, ultrasonic cleaners, steam, chemical cleaners and airtight storage in very hot or dry conditions.

Store pearls separately in a soft pouch or lined compartment. If the pearls are strung, lay them flat while drying and check the thread periodically for stretching or wear.

Diamond is the hardest natural gemstone, but it can still chip when struck at the wrong angle and can loosen within its setting.

Wearing: Diamonds are well suited to frequent wear, but jewellery should still be removed before exercise, cleaning or activities involving heavy impact.

Cleaning: Wipe with the general microfibre cloth. For solid-gold diamond jewellery, warm water, mild soap and a soft brush can help remove oils that collect around the stone and setting.

Avoid: Abrasive household cleaners and home steam or ultrasonic cleaning. These methods may loosen a stone that is already insecure.

Store diamond jewellery separately because diamonds can scratch other gemstones, precious metals and even other diamonds.

Our gemstone library extends beyond the stones listed in this guide, particularly through our bespoke work and limited collections.

If your gemstone does not appear here—or if you are uncertain about its identity, treatment or care—please contact us before cleaning it. Share your order details or a clear photograph, and we will recommend the most appropriate method.